Self-supporting vehicle body frame or chassis frame, particularly for automobiles



Sept. 2, 1941.

2,254,497 ICLE BODY FRAME on CHASSIS RTICULAR FOR AUTOMOBILES y K. SCHAFER R NG VEH LY Filed July SELF-SUP lnventor:

' KURT ScHKFER Attorney Patented Sept. 2, 1941 SELF- SUPPORTING VEHICLE BODY OR CHASSIS FRAME, PARTICULARLY FOR AUTOMOBILES Kurt Sclitifer, Berlin-Eichkamm Germany, assignor to EdwardG. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania I 1 Application July 1]., 1939, Serial No. 283,726

. In Germany July 16, 1938 7 ciaimsj cl. 280 -10 6) ,The present invention relates to a'self-supporting vehiclebody frame or chassis frame particu- The longitudinal bearers larly' for automobiles. or sills of the chassis frame or of the underframe of the body, which serves simultaneously as the chassis frame, must in some instances extend at the front and rear in such a manner as to avoid the wheels. Generally this is achieved by arranging the sills between the wheels. In such a construction, the sills will take up a comparatively large space and consequently reduce th'e'width available for body space'or motor space. In order to avoid this there has already been a proposal that the longitudinal bearers or sills should be formed to passdirectly over the wheels. This arrangement, however, is of little practical value, as the bearers. or sills,"due to thenecessity of curving them over the wheels, suffer a loss in strength and rigidity and furthermore, particularly over the rear wheels, take up the space normally required for the arm rests of the rear seats. r

These disadvantages are avoided by the construction of the present invention, according to which the inner wall of the wheel housings or the wheel housings themselves are formed as box-section extensions of the longitudinal side bearers or sills. Dueto the fact ,thatthe height members is approximately equal toone halfthe ity and stiffness. These box-section members in i the region above the wheel housings may be turned outwardly or be similarly formed, so that the upper part of the wheel housing, is also wholly or partly of box-section. r The fender will be secured in the usual man-' ner to ,the outside of the upper edge of this box J forming the wheel housing. In order further to increase the stiffness the fender itself may be formed of box-section. The outer and inner walls of the wheel housing 'and/ or the fender may be formed in one piece or of several pieces suitably welded together.

Reinforcements may usefully be provided be,- tween the inner and outer walls of the box-section members, particularly at the highest points thereof. Finally the walls of the longitudinal bearers or sills, and the walls of the wheel housings and/or the fender may be in one piece.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, of which Figural is a diagrammatic representation of a vehicle body fram or chassis frame; and

- synthetic resin available for the formationof these box-section Figures 2, 3' and 4 are sections on the lines 1- 3-3, l-.-4.respectively of Figure 1. The longitudinal box-section bearers or sills l,

which in known manner may be formed of boxsection which are extended at the front or at the rear or at both, forming in the region of the front wheels the box-section bearer 3 and in the region of the rear wheels the box section bearer 2. According to the modification of the invention illustrated in the drawing, these box-section members extend up over the wheel to about the longitudinalcentre plane thereof.- The fenders 4 andiare also formed of box-section and are secured to the box-section wheel housing longitudinal centre-plane. r

It will be clear from the drawing that the bearers 2 and 3 take up very little space and follow closely the form of the wheels. Space is gained in the transverse width and the use of the space above the wheel for the bearer is avoided quite apart from the fact that such a bearer bent up over the wheel wouldnot possess the required rigidity. The box-section members may, if desired, be reinforced by the members 6. The material employed may be sheet metal,

materials or other similar materiaL- I claim:

Y K l. A'vehicle with a box-section longitudinal side frame member and a wheel housing, in which the side andthe upper walls ofthe said wheel housing form a box-section extension of the said I side member.

2. A vehicle with box-section longitudinal side frame members, wheel housings andffenders, in 3 which thetside and the'upper walls of the said. wheel housings and fendersform box section extensions of the, said sideframe members:

3. A vehicle with box-section longitudinal side frame members and wheelhousings inwhich the side and the upper walls of each said wheel housing form a box section extension of the said side frame members, at least one of the walls of one of the said side frame members and of the appertaining extension being formed of one piece.

4. A vehicle having box-section longitudinal side frame members, wheel housings and fenders in which the sideand the upper walls of each said wheel housing and fender form a box-section extension-of said side frame member, the

inner and outer wallso'f said extension being at' said and fender I forms a box-section extension of the side frame member, the walls oi said side frame member each being formed in one piece with correspondbeing secured between and interbracing opposing walls oi. said extension.

7. A vehicle having a longitudinal side frame member, a wheel housing and a tender, all three being box shaped in cross section. the said wheel housing and tender forming an extension of the side irame member, a reinforcement being inserted between opposing walls of the said extension.

KURT SCHAFER. 

